They treat them like their babies

In the restaurant name game, celebrities and loyal clients are losing ground to VIPs who are closer to home -- the chefs’ kids.

Grace, Em and Fred now have their names on restaurant walls and menus, following in the footsteps of Nick and Stef, Max and Zax.

Fred is the 21-year-old son of chef Andre Guerrero, who named his new Sherman Oaks restaurant Senor Fred. Guerrero’s 16-year-old son, Maximilian, who showed an early interest in cooking, got his own restaurant name a year ago -- Max, also in Sherman Oaks.

“I just adore my kids, and it’s kind of a way to honor them,” Guerrero said. “This business is so hard on chefs and family life.”

Both of his sons work at Senor Fred, with Fred training to be the restaurant’s bookkeeper. This summer, Max plans to recreate at Fred’s the stone-fruit crisps he made for Max’s summer dessert specials.

The brothers and restaurants don’t have to worry much about sibling rivalry or menu overlap: Max maintains its Cal-Asian cuisine, while Senor Fred offers updated Mexican cuisine at moderate prices ($8.50 to $18.50 for entrees).

Meanwhile, Em, which opened a few months ago on Beverly Boulevard, takes its name from Emylee, the 10-year-old daughter of owners Charles and Pamela Nuzzo.

A few doors down the street, the 13-year-old daughter of executive chef Neal Fraser has her name on another new place: Grace.

Of course, just because they bear the names of children and teens doesn’t mean the restaurants are geared to them. At Grace, for instance, the sophisticated menu may not appeal to children, though the upholstered banquettes have proven to be a fine napping spot for little ones.

The new crop of restaurants is but a boomlet. A few years ago, there were others. Zax in Brentwood is named for owners Chris and Chantal Schaefer’s 8-year-old son, Zachary. To keep the flames of sibling rivalry from erupting, the couple created a private-label wine for their 5-year-old daughter, Sofia. It’s a Sauvignon Blanc made by Gainey Vineyard in Santa Barbara. She also has her own salad, the Sofia, made with her favorite candied walnuts, Pink Lady apples, blue cheese and greens.

Nick & Stef’s, the 4-year-old steakhouse in downtown L.A., gave chef-owners Joachim and Christine Splichal a place where their twins, Nicolas and Stephane, 8, could indulge in French fries.

But having a restaurant named after you doesn’t mean you get to call the shots. The twins’ mom said she makes them eat spinach in addition to the fries.

Small Bites

* You might notice your tab shrinking when you dine at one of the Patina Group restaurants run by the Splichals.

The corkage fee, which used to be an average of $10 a bottle, has been waived at all six of the Pinot restaurants: Cafe Pinot in downtown L.A.; Pinot Bistro in Studio City; Pinot Hollywood; Pinot Provence in Costa Mesa; Pinot Blanc in St. Helena, Calif.; and Pinot Brasserie in Las Vegas’ Venetian Hotel. The Patina Group is a subsidiary of New York-based Restaurant Associates.

Plus, children 12 and younger can now dine for free at the same six restaurants. Though children’s menus will be available at most locations, kids may order free from the a la carte menus.

-- Valli Herman-Cohen